Monday, July 25, 2011

rooftop gardening - harvest festival!

It is Pesta Menuai in Malay langguage or Tadau Kaamatan in Kadazan langguage or the more popular Harvest Festival. So the day finally came to rejoice over 3 months long endurance with rooftop gardening. Dato Sri Mustapha Mohamed came to grace the occasion. Over a thousand turned up to support the colourful event, ranging from kindergarden children, students, mothers, fathers and as Sulong noted even elderly grandmothers.

The first chili harvested.

Dato Sri Mustapha put it in a decorative basket.

As planned, there were colouring contest for kindergarden children, essay competition for secondary school students, photography contest, flower and veggie arrangements for the ladies. So the crowd came in large numbers for the day. Exhibition booths were set for agencies/companies with agriculture interest. If tarian Sumazau is popular in Sabah during Tadau Kaamatan, over here kindergarden children showed something colourful with their steps.

It is about putting rooftop gardening across to the community,
about educating younger generation to be innovative
about saying Thank You God for bountiful harvest.

Rooftop gardening is no more foreign to the community. Everyone who get to the rooftop and briefed about rooftop gardening will get a certificate ~ friends of rooftop gardening. The number should swell to thousands by the end of the year. The team is targeting to be in Malaysian Book Of Record on the biggest number of rooftop gardening visitors! Now the team is entering into the next phase, that is marketing. They should work out where to sell chili centil. There is a long list of potential buyers. The first harvest is about 80 kilogram, sold the same day!

Congratulations, Bangchik and Kakdah! It is a very well supported and attended affair. I hope it gets contagious for all people with solid rooftops. For me it is not favorable as we have the traditional rooftop, haha.

Malar ~ Any activity with children around is always cheerful and colourful. Children always give honest smile.... Bangchik appeared in few pictures here, but since you ask i probably reveal which one is "bangchik" and his role in the festival. Next post, Malar.

Hi BangchikThis is a great article and a fantastic idea. We alot of awareness here at our garden centre for young children to get involved in growing veg and the seasons. Rooftop gardening is clearly a winner when you are limited for space. Thank you for sharing.